Wire stretcher



Dec. 1924- 1,518,769

J. F. BRUNK WIRE STRETCHER Filed March 10, ,1924

INVEN TOR.

josqipl firunk,

' ATTORNEY.

l it has just operated.

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

JOSEPH r. BRUNK,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF BASIN WYOMING.

Application filed March 10, 1924. Serial No. 898,284.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josarrr F. BRUNK, a citizenfof the United States, residing at Basin, in the county of Big Horn and State of Vyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Wire Stretchers, of which the following 1s a specification.

My invention relates to wire stretchers.

. My object is to provide a device of this character for building wire, fence "and splic 1 ing broken wires, that can be easily and con .veniently handled, and that can be quickly adjusted to the work in performingthe various operations required of such a device.

Another object is to provide a wire stretcher which" will automatically lock it self upon the completion of a stretching operation, and will be held in its locked'position by the tension in the wires upon which A further object is to provide positive locking means for the device in addition to the automatic, locking means 'ust referred to, whereby thepossibility of t e-device becoming accidentally unlocked is forestalled. Other objects will-appear in the subjoined description. p 1

v An important feature of the invention consists in. an operatinglever, curved at l0 one end and slotted intheplaneof its curva- V ture, with .a link pivoted at the forwardend of said curved portion and adapted/to be gi'awn backwardly into ',said.slot entering 0 same at the convex side thereof; while at 85 about the central tion of the opera-tang lever, a U-sha' ed member or clevis is pivoted, with its c osed end extending sutficiently beyond the outer end of said curved section to permit the end of said section and the link carried therein to pass up and down freely through said clevis between its parallel sides, said clevis having a swivel at its outer end for engagement with the-chains operating in one direction, and said link being arranged at its free end to engage the chain extending in the 'other direction.

j The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, aswill be hereinafter described and "claimed, reference being had .to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective vlew of my device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the dertion of said" curved secvice in the act of bringing two wires toward each other for splicing; and,

Fig. 3 is aside elevation showing the device in locked position at the completion of a stretching operation.

The numeral 1 indicates the operating .lever provided atits forward end with a curved section'2, the outer end of which comes into alinement with the straight/or handle portion of the lever. This curved ortion is provided with a central slot 3. ivoted in the forward end of this slot is a link 4 adapted to swing backwardly into the slot; and 'to the other endof this link is secured the rear chain 5 of the device.

About midway of the curved portion 2 of the operating lever, a U-shaped member or clevis 6 is pivotally connected thereto by means of apivot 7 which extends transversely through said section across the slot- 3 therein. This clevis of alen h to extend forwardly beyond the en of said curved portion, so that said portion has" free up and down movement between the parallel sides of the clevis. Atthe outer.

end of this-U-shaped member or elevis isa vswivel ring 8 to which are attachedthe stretcher chains 9, and 10.

The pivot pin 7 projects outwardlypres. erablyatthe right side of the clevis 6, and

to this projecting portion is suitably at tached a shor't chain 11 which carries a pin 12 adapted to bereceived into the alined openings 13 of the clevis, when the device is in its locked position, as illustrated in Fi the operation ofthe The link 4 near its outer end is provided i? on its under side with a notch 16 into which the pin 7 is received, and which permits thelink to lie down a little deeper in the slot 3, the reason of which arrangement will become more apparent when of the device is described."

most part, already apparent. From Fig. 2

The operation of the device is, raved l the operation,

it will be seen that when two sections ofvyira I v are engaged by the clamps 14, and the lever I 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow,

the wires will be drawn toward each other;

and when the handle of the clamp has come.

' up to, a horizontal position, the points .17

. pivoted to the forward end of the operating handle. It will be seen that as soon as the point 19 moves above the plane of the point 20, the tension on the wires will exert a pull on the lever 1 that willj'automatically move it upwardly, thus automatically holding it locked in that position; and since the notch 16' of'the' link 4 receives the pin 7 thereinto, the handle is' permitted tovrise a little farther than would "otherwise be the case, whereby the device is more securely locked automatically. are in the position just described, as shown in Fig. 3, the curved end of the operating lever has moved downwardly through the clevis sufficiently to bring its upper side below the alined openings 13 of the clevis, so that the pin 12 carried on the chain 11 can be passed through said alined openings, thereby positively locking the device in the position it has already automatically assumed by reason of'the tension in the engaged wires.

In stretching a long section of wire, or when, for any reason it is desirable to 'doso,

the chains 9 and 10 may be connected together and formed into a loop around a fence post, while the wire to. be stretched will .be engaged by the clamp on the end of the chain 5. 1

Attention is also called to the fact that at, the end of a clamping operation when the device automatically locks itself,-,the handle stops at a point parallel with the chain 5 and with the wire being operated upon, and

But when the parts is spaced therefrom suificiently not to bump the hand of the operator into the chain or the wire, which latter often has barbs on it.

From the foregoin it will be seen that I have provided a device of great simplicity; easy and convenient to handle; strong and durable, and yet inexpensive, in construction; one that will automatically lock itself.

at the completion of a stretching operation; and that also has additional means for independentl and positively looking it in the position w ich it assumes automatically.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letmember pivoted at its open end tosaid curved portion at approximately its middle part and-extendingforwardly sufliciently to permit its closed end to clear the forward I end of said curved portion of the operating lever, to adapt said member to swing upwardly and downwardly on said curved portion; aswivel in the closed end of said U-shaped member for engagement with one of the stretcher chains; said member having alined openings in its sides, and a pin to pass through said openings when the lever is swung into position to bring the convex side of the curved end portion of the operating lever inwardly beyond'said openings, whereby to automatically hold the lever against a return movement, and also to positively look it against accidental return movement. I V

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' JOSEPH F. BRUNK. 

